The four Israelis smiled broadly as they waved and gave the thumbs-up from a stage in Gaza City’s Palestine Square, militants on either side of them and a crowd of thousands watching before they were led off to waiting Red Cross vehicles. They were likely acting under duress, with previously released hostages saying they were held in brutal conditions and forced to record propaganda videos.
Hamas Frees 4 Israeli Soldiers As Part Of Gaza Ceasefire In Exchange For 200 Prisoners
Trump ends Fauci's security detail, says he'd feel no responsibility if he was harmed
President Donald Trump has ended the federal security detail for Dr. Anthony Fauci, the infectious disease expert who advised him on the COVID-19 pandemic, a person familiar with the matter said Friday.
Fauci is the latest in a string of former Trump aides-turned-critics to see their federal protection canceled despite ongoing threats to their lives.
Speaking to reporters in North Carolina on Friday, Trump said he wouldn't feel any responsibility if harm befell the former government officials. A person familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security issues, said that Fauci's federal security detail was ended on Thursday and that he has since hired private security.
Lebanese long to return to war-damaged homes, but Israeli troops remain — for now
After more than a year of fighting between Israel and the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah, displaced Lebanese villagers long to return to their homes. But now, there could be further delay.
Israeli troops were due to withdraw from southern Lebanon by Sunday. But on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said that Lebanese armed forces had yet to deploy and assert control over the areas, as part of the ceasefire agreement. And the Trump administration says it is working on a deadline extension.
"A short, temporary ceasefire extension is urgently needed," Brian Hughes, the incoming national security council spokesperson, said in a statement Friday. He said the White House is pleased the Israeli military has started the withdrawal from central parts of Lebanon, "and we continue to work closely with our regional partners to finalize the extension."
Local governments across U.S. signal they won't aid Trump migrant crackdown
A growing number of cities, states, police departments, school districts and other local governments are signaling they won't cooperate with what Trump administration officials are describing as the largest migrant deportation effort in U.S. history.
"The Omaha police department has no plans to participate in any raids," said Chief Todd Schmaderer, who heads the Omaha, Nebraska police department in a video posted on Youtube. He added that local officers "do not and will not" stop people to check their legal status.
Officials with the Department of Homeland Security say they've launched efforts nationally to identify, detain and deport far more migrants without legal status, including some allowed into the U.S. by the Biden administration. DHS officials also say their agents are now free to conduct raids at churches and schools, canceling guidelines that made "sensitive" areas off-limits.
One minute, they were celebrating Gaza’s ceasefire. The next, they were killed
Thirteen-year-oldhad spent most of his life shuffling between hospitals across Gaza, the occupied West Bank and Israel.
Born without a lung, he had struggled to breathe. Doctors had predicted he would need a transplant if he were to reach adulthood. But the last 15 months of war in Gaza had made that impossible.
When the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect on Sunday, Zakariya was ecstatic.
US orders halt to virtually all foreign aid except for Israel and Egypt
The secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has ordered a halt to virtually all US foreign aid, but made an exception for funding to Israel and Egypt, according to an internal memo to staff at the US state department.
“No new funds shall be obligated for new awards or extensions of existing awards until each proposed new award or extension has been reviewed and approved … as consistent with President Trump’s agenda,” said the memo.
The sweeping order appears to affect everything from development assistance to military aid – including potentially to Ukraine, which received billions of dollars in weapons under Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden as it tries to repel a Russian invasion.
Trump signs order to reinstate ‘global gag rule’ on abortion aid
Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order reinstating a federal rule known as the “Mexico City policy” which halts US aid from flowing to groups that provide abortion services, counsel people about the procedure or advocate for abortion rights overseas.
The policy, which was first instituted by Ronald Reagan in 1984, is typically implemented whenever a Republican president wins the White House and rescinded whenever a Democrat wins. But this whiplash has major implications for abortion and reproductive healthcare around the world.
Historically, the revival of the Mexico City policy affects up to about $600m of international aid. During his first term, however, Trump dramatically expanded the scope of the Mexico city policy, which abortion rights supporters call a “global gag rule”. Rather than applying the policy only to family planning assistance, as was typical, the Trump administration applied to it to assistance for organizations that offer a range of health services around the globe – leading the policy to affect billions of dollars’ worth of aid.
JD Vance Secures Pete Hegseth As Defense Secretary With Tie-Breaking Vote
Pete Hegseth eked out a victory Friday when Vice President JD Vance cast a tie-breaking vote to deliver him enough votes in the Senate to become the next secretary of defense.
Why It Matters
This is only the second time in modern history that the vice president has had to break a tie vote for a Cabinet pick.
Hegseth was widely considered the most controversial Cabinet nominee and was dogged by allegations of sexual misconduct and alcohol abuse ahead of his confirmation vote.
Newsweek reached out to Hegseth's lawyer for comment via email on Friday.
Premier combat unit ordered to prep for border as Trump steps up anti-immigrant push
The 10th Mountain Division has received a warning order to deploy troops to the southern border and has sent planners to U.S. Northern Command for the mission, according to an Army official who was not authorized to speak publicly. The 10th Mountain Division is designed to send combat-ready forces on short notice to hotspots around the world.
It is not clear how many soldiers from the division, a light-infantry formation, will be sent to the border. But two of its brigades are unavailable due to overseas deployments: an infantry brigade is in Europe, and its aviation brigade is in the process of returning from the Middle East.
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- Trump administration bans non-US flags from being flown at embassies
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